Coin-freed stamping apparatus



F. HILTON.

COIN FREE!) STAMPING {\PPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16, 19! 5.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

F. HILTON.

com FREED STAMPING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16. I915.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FRED HILTON, OF MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

COIN-FREED STAMPING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

Application filed February 16, 1915. Serial No. 8,484.

To alt whom it may concern Be it known that I, F RED HILTON, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident of Manchester, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in CoirrF reed Stamping Apparatus of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that type of coin-freed stamping machine which is described in the specification to my prior British Letters PatentNo. 3956 of 1909. The improved machine differs however from the described prior construction in several details and notably in the fact that the detent device to prevent the return of the stamp is not released from its grip of the stamp bar until the coin has left such bar, and (b) in the fact that the coin only leaves. the stamp bar after the return movement of the operating handle has commenced, and (a) furthermore the detent device employed is one that acts with certainty through infinitesimal variations of thickness of the packet being stamped, to hold the stamp down on any thickness of packing and prevent the stamp rising and the packet being withdrawn until the coin has left the stamp bar. I

In carrying this ,i vention into effect there are two reciprocating bars placed side by side. One, the stamp bar, carries the stamp; the other, the handle bar is operated from the handle. Between the two bars a recess is cut for the reception of a coin. hen there is no coin in the recess the handle bar can be depressed without depressing the stamp bar. When a coin is in the recess it acts as. a connecting element between the stamp bar and the handle bar, and when the latter is then depressed it carries the stamp bar down with it to stamp a packet. l Vhen the stamp bar is thus depressed to stamp a packet it is held in the lowest position it reaches by a friction clutch. The friction clutch device is. of such a nature and has one of its members so connected to the handle bar that upon the handle moving back to a slight extent the handlebar rises to a slight extent also thus releasing its grip on the coin. which then rolls off the ridge or step on the stamp bar. Further backward movement of the handle uppermost positions.

elevation.

Fig. 1 shows the new devices for inserting a coin which I prefer to employ.

Fig. 2 shows the apparatus of Fig. 1 but at right angles thereto.

Fig. 3 is an edge view of the stamp bar and the-handle bar at the bottom of their strokes justv as the stamp impression is being made on the packet.

Fig. at is an edge view of the stamp bar and the handle bar just as the latter has commenced to rise and has released the coin.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the stamp bar and the handle bar are shown in their highest positions, in which they are normally independently held by springs or by counterweights or like devices.

A is the sliding stamp bar, B is the sliding handle bar. 0 is the handle which by means of an arm C moving against the pin B on the handle bar may depress such bar. D is the stamp carried by the stamp bar; E is the bed or pad upon which the packet is placed for the stamp to be brought down on to its upper face. The stamp D may be of any suitable form. Conveniently it may be of the well known type which is depressed from its inking pad to its stamp ing position, and turns over during such movement, and which rises again and turns over again on to its inking pad when it is released. F is a clutch dog or member pivoted loosely in an opening in the handle bar by means of a slot F and a transverse pin F and formed to press against the face of the stamp bar. G is a spring controlled brake lever adapted to engage with the clutch dog F, pivoted at G and having a spring G which tends to force the short arm of the lever into contact with the clutch dog and the face of the handle bar. Vhen the handle C is in its highest position it pulls the short arm of the brake lever G out of the path of the clutch dOg or face of the handle bar by means of a rod H which is connected to the handle arm C and comes beneath the lower face of the long arm of the brake lever G although it is capable of sliding freely down ard through such lever.

Between the contiguous faces of the stamp bar and handle bar is cut a recess 00, to contain a coin J in such a manner that its upper edge comes below the ridge of the step in the handle bar and rests upon a ridge or step in the stamp bar. A coin in such a position acts to transmit the downward movement of the handle bar to the stamp bar; when there is no coin in the recess the handle bar can be moved up and down without moving the stamp bar.

The operation of the apparatus is as followsiA coin J being properly placed between the two bars as shown in Fig. 2 the handle is operated to depress the handle bar. This bar B moving downward carries the stamp bar A with it until further movement of both is stopped by the stamp D coming upon the upper surface of the letter or packet placed on the pad. In this position the two bars are shown in Fig. 3. The handle in its movement has released the brake lever G and the spring G has brought the short arm of the lever into the path of the handle bar and the clutch dog F. The brake lever is so inclined relatively to the path of the handle bar that it will permit downward movement of the bar and clutch dog in contact with it but not upward movement. When the stamp has reached the let ter the clutch dog F is brought into contact with the brake lever. It is freely and easily suspended within the handle bar and upon its pin, and before it reaches the brake lever it is hanging with the upper part of its slot upon the pin F as shown in Fig. 2. \Vhen the clutch reaches the brake lever the contact with it is sufficient to hold the clutch stationary and prevent it moving farther downward until the pin F reaches the bot tom of the slot F as shown in Fig. 3. Further movement of the handle bar downward carries the dog with it under the end of the brake lever.

l/Vhen the stamp has reached the letter the inner end of the brake lever is pressing the lower end of the dog F inward against the face ofthe stamp bar. The brake lever thus prevents any upward movement of the dog and of the stamp bar.

The stamping being effected and the handle released the handle bar is free to move upward the length of the slot in the dog, but the brake lever prevents any upward movement of the dog F and of the stamp bar, and the stamp is thus held firmly down'on the letter which it has stamped. The handle bar is shown in Fig. 4 as having moved upward the length of the slot F When it has so moved upward the upper edge of the coin recess in it has risen clear of the upper edge of the coin, and the coin has rolled off the lower edge of the recess in the stamp bar which lower edge is inclined to cause this to take place. The two bars then remain in the position of Fig. 4; until two bars.

the handle has moved to its inoperative position and has raised the long arm of the brake lever by the pull of the link or rod H, thus releasing the clutch dog and permitting both bars A, B, to fly to their highest position.

ith the arrangement described the stamp cannot be removed from the letter it has stamped nor can the letter be withdrawn from under the stamp until the coin which effects the stamping movement of the stamp bar has fallen away.

I The clutch dog is so mounted in the handle bar and is of such a length as to per mit the described movements, and also so as to be acted upon by the brake lever for all variations in thickness of letters or parcels likely to be stamped.

The coin is inserted edgewise from the left of Fig. 1 into the recess between the On the right hand side of the bars may be an opening through the slides along which they move of sufficient size to allow a coin which is too small to pass through such opening instead of remaining in the recess. The lower edge of the recess in the stamp bar may slope downward to the right of Fig. l to facilitate the discharge from the recess of a too small coin, and to facilitate the discharge of a proper coin after stamping has been effected.

The coin chute shown in Figs. 1 and 1 may be employed. It has an opening K the size of the coin to be used. The coin is placed flatwise through such opening and comes between two dogs L L hinged on a slide M. The upper and lower edges of the slide casing hold the dogs in the proper position to receive the coin when the parts are in the position of Fig. 1. When the slide is pushed to the right, carrying the dogs and the coin with it, it finally reaches the position of Fig. 1*. Here the formation of the upper and lower edges of the slide casing permits the leading end of the lower dog L to fall, and the rear end of the upper dog L also to fall. These falling movements bring both rear ends of the dogs forward and thereby force the coin J to the right into the recess in the handle and stamp bars, and insure the delivery of the coin to such recess.

Other forms of coin chute may, however, be employed with the machine.

A counting mechanism may be connected with some suitable part of the machine to record the number of impressions.

The machine is inclosed in any suitable casing with a slot to permit a letter or part of a letter to be placed on the stamping pad below the stamp.

What I claim is r 1. In a coin-freed stamping machine, a reciprocable stamp bar, a reciprocable operating bar for operating said stamp bar, abutments on said stamp and operating bars for the reception of a coin standing on its edge to form an operating connection between the bars, a coin chute leading to said abutments, a clutch device adapted when said stamp bar is operated to retain the same until the operating bar has been moved back to re lease the coin, and a connection between the handle and the clutch device for releasing the latter.

2. In a coin-freed stamping machine, a reciprocable stamp bar, a reciprocable operating bar for operating said stamp bar, abutments on said stamp and operating bars for the reception of a coin standing on its edge to form an operating connection between the bars, a coin chute leading to said abutments, a friction clutch device on said operating bar, and means for causing said clutch device to engage said stamp bar when operated and retain same until said operating bar has been moved back to release the coin.

In a coin-freed stamping machine, a reciprocable stamp bar, a reciprocable operating bar for operating said stamp bar, a handle for actuating said operating bar, abutments on said stamp and operating bars for the reception or" a coin standing on its edge to form an operating connection between the bars. a coin chute leading to said abutments, a clutch dog movably mounted on said operating bar and adapted to engage said stamp bar, a brake lever adapted when said stamp and operating bars are operated to engage said clutch dog and cause same to retain said stamp bar until the operating bar has moved back sufficient to release the coin and the actuating lever has regained its normal position, and a connection between said handle and brake lever whereby on said handle regaining its normal position said lever is disengaged from said clutch dog to release said stamp and operating bars and allow same to return to their normal positions.

4. In a coin-freed stamping machine, a reciprocable stamp bar, a reciprocable operating bar for said stamp bar, a handle for actuating said operating bar, means on the bars for the reception of a coin to form an operative connection therebetween, a pivoted clutch dog movably mounted on one of said bars and adapted to engage the other of said bars, a brake lever adapted when said stamp and operating bars are operated to engage said clutch dog and momentarily retain the stamp bar, and a connection between the handle and the brake lever for disengaging said clutch dog to allow the return of the bars to their normal positions.

5. In a coinfreed stamping machine, a reciprocable stamp bar, a reciprocable operating bar for operating said stamp bar, a handle for actuating said operating bar, the contiguous faces of said bars being cut to provide a recess to receive a coin, the cutaway portion in the stamp bar having a ledge or step at its lower end, and the cutaway portion of the operating bar having an overhanging ledge, a coin chute leading to the recess in the contiguous faces of said bars, a clutch device adapted when said stamp bar is operated to retain the same until the operating bar has been moved back to release the coin, and a connection between the handle and the clutch device.

6. In a coin-freed stamping device, a reciprocable stamp bar, a reciprocable operating bar for said stamp bar, said bars being in upright position and having a relative sliding movement, a handle for operating said operating bar, abutments on said bars for the reception of a coin, a coin chute leading to said abutment, a slot in said operating bar, a clutch dog in said slot and adapted to frictionally engage said stamp bar, a pin -and slot connection for pivotally mounting said clutch dog, a pivoted brake lever adapted when said stamp and operating bars are operated to engage said clutch dog and cause the same to retain said stamp bar until the operating bar is moved back suiiicient to release the coin, a spring for maintaining one end of the lever against said clutch dog, and a connection between said handle and the brake lever whereby on said handle regaining its normal position said lever is disengaged from the clutch dog to release said stamp and operating bars to allow the same to return to their normal positions.

7. In a coin-freed stamping machine, a reciprocable stamping bar, a reciprocable operating bar for operating said stamping bar, a handle for operating one of said bars, said bars having co-acting slots for receiv ing a coin to form an operative connection between them, a friction clutch device adapted to retain the stamping bar in position until the operating bar is slightly moved in a return direction from its full operative position, and means between the clutch device and handle for releasing the clutch device.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRED HILTON. Witnesses:

FRANK A. HEYS, MALCOLM SMETHURST. 

